Business process management (BPM) offers a programmatic structure for designing transactions and executing them using automated decisions, tasks and sequence flows. For example, an insurance company can use BPM to automate the steps involved in processing insurance claims. A BPM system typically includes an engine that executes process definitions, and tools that aid process development and monitoring.
A typical BPM system is operable with a limited number of databases that support the same data types and the same properties of data elements. For example, jBPM, a tool used by jBoss division of Red Hat Inc., is operable with the HSQL database and MySQL database but not with other databases that support different data types or different data element properties. This creates inconvenience and extra expenses for customers who either have to replace their existing database product or find a BPM system that is operable with their existing database.